In the backdrop of heavy rains, hailstorm and snowfall in higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh during last two days which affected normal life, Chief Secretary V.C.Pharka on Thursday held a state level disaster management meeting to take stock of the situation.
After the meeting, Pharka said that unprecedented wide spread heavy rains alongwith hail storm had occurred in all districts of the state, directing PWD, IPH and electricity departments to restore the affected roads, water supply schemes and electricity on priority.
Pharka directed the agriculture and horticulture departments to seek reports of losses at the earliest from all the districts and direct their field staff to personally monitor the same. He said that two persons had died and eight other injured due to lightening at village Khadaan in Rampur Sub Division of Shimla District.
The Chief Secretary said that one person died due to fall in Sundernagar sub division of Mandi district. He said that one person and 15 cattles died due to lightening in village Dharjot in Baijnath Sub Division of Kangra District, besides 18 kachha houses and five cow sheds had also been fully damaged.
Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue and Disaster Manager) Tarun Sridhar said that funds have already been provided to the Deputy Commissioners and other line departments under disaster management and asked to utilize the same and seek more funds, if required.
Director Meteorological Department, Manmohan Sharma said that 12.3 mm actual rainfall has been experienced in the state as against normal rainfall of 2.6 mm on Wednesday which is 381 percent departure from normal. He said that 63.4 mm precipitation has been recorded in Kalpa of Kinnaur District, which has broken the record of year 2002.